How She Got the Look: Adele's Hair at the 2013 Oscars

Adele’s looks are always striking. She’s got an old glamour vibe that sets her apart from the rest of the current crop of musical starlets — well, that and her incredible powerhouse vocals. At the Oscars, she looked no less than drop dead gorgeous with her signature dramatic cat eye and fringe of false lashes. But it was her super pumped-up hairstyle that caught our eye. Stylist Michael Ashton’s decision to do a half-up-do was perfect, and the drama of mega-volume was a fabulous face-framing look for Adele.

So how did she get it?

Start with Drying

To begin this look, you need to start with wet hair, though not necessarily freshly washed hair. Stylists often say that hair that hasn’t just been washed is easier to work with and holds a style better.

Here’s the fun part. Break out your blow dryer, flip your head over, and blast your hair from down the shaft (but not on the roots!) to get volume. (Here’s a good place to note that while this is great for a special occasion look, we’ve discussed how regular heat styling at super hot temperatures can lead to dry and damaged hair, so it can be damaging if done regularly.)

Next Comes Styling

When your hair is about ¾ dry, flip it back over and use a medium-sized round brush to smooth out hair, making sure your ends get plenty of your time to make them extra bounce.

Next, divide your hair into four sections and take a medium to large curling iron to each section to get volume at the roots. Then set all your hair hair with hot rollers and keep them in until they cool. Take the rollers out out and brush through your hair with a natural bristle brush. (Find out why which type of brush you use matters.)

Then take the hair that will be down in the half up-do and pin it in a barrel curl, securing it with a sectioning clip and allowing it to cool. In about five to ten minutes, remove and gently tousle the hair.

Then take the top section that will be pulled back, and leave two sections out that will frame the face. Next tease the remainder of the top section at the crown for extra oomph before pulling it back and securing it. Finish it off with John Frieda Luxurious Volume Extra Hold Hairspray ($7, amazon.com).

Bottom Line

For an elegant and eye-catching style, we love Adele’s beautiful half up-do. It’s pretty and interesting, but it really allows the starlets beauty to shine and was a perfect style to go with her dramatic makeup.